• less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled (1.)
• 64% of the fibers in the global market are synthetic (2.)
For the uninitiated, polyester is a synthetic fabric. Rayon, nylon and acrylic are also synthetic fabrics. Synthetic fabrics are largely less expensive than natural fiber fabrics. Both polyester and plastic are by-products of the petroleum industry. More than 60% of apparel out in the market right now comes from the petroleum industry. If that isn’t cringe-y enough, plastics and polyesters never go away completely.
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was created in 1941 in a DuPont laboratory and was eventually made into the fiber ‘nylon' for textile use. Five years later a chemist in England took this work and built upon it creating the fiber ‘polyester’. In 1951, DuPont built upon that and marketed a polyester fabric called “Dacron”. It was the fabric of the future. Stain and wrinkle resistant, it could be made to feel and look like cotton or silk. Polyester fibers were sturdy, resilient and tough enough for outwear fabrics.
Fast forward to 1973 and the first plastic PET beverage bottle is released, certified safe and nonleaching (and also from the DuPont laboratories). By 2017 a million plastic beverage bottles were purchased every minute, globally, according to data published in The Guardian siting Euromonitor International’s global packaging trends report. (3.)
Polyester and plastic do not biodegrade (some scientists have ventured they have a 450 year lifespan, but it’s hard to know given how “new” these materials are when compared to natural fibers like cotton or wool). We do know, however, that they are creating severe consequences for the planet right now. And it’s not just the obvious plastic bottles we see washed up on coastlines or landfills bursting with discarded clothing. It’s what we cannot see that is harder to deal with. Polyester clothing sheds. Each time you wash and dry your favorite cozy fleece or super cute acrylic sweater, micro-particles go into the air and waterways. Micro-fibers have been found on Mount Everest. (4.) Micro-fibers have been detected in the air over parts of England where there is garment manufacturing. Micro-plastics have been found in every ocean all around the world. These small micro-particles unwittingly become food for the small fish which in turn get eaten by bigger fish which means they are now part of the food chain. (5.) (5a.)
How do we go forward? What do we do, how do adapt? Do we care? Do we wait for technology to swoop in and fix things? Here are some things to ponder while looking for ways forward.
We filled our glasses with water from the tap. We even occasionally drank from garden hoses.
We wrapped our sandwiches in wax paper.
Our groceries and clothing purchases were put into paper bags.
Milk and juice came in wax cartons or glass bottles.
Toothpaste came in flexible metal tubes that occasionally split open and leaked blobs of toothpaste and it was super annoying but whatever.
Vitamins came in glass bottles with tin lids.
Straws were paper.
Soda came in glass bottles or aluminum cans.
Produce was not in plastic containers and we ate salads and fruits “in-season” (not shipped from half way around the globe)
Eggs came in paper cartons.
Toilet paper was wrapped in paper. Hand and body soaps were solid bars, not liquid in plastic bottles.
We bought 3-5 new pieces of quality clothing/year and kept them for several years after. (Now we buy approx. 68 new pcs of clothing/year) (6.)
We cleaned, repaired minor tears and replaced buttons to preserve a garment.
This might sound quaint but it’s worth noting that, generally, people were clean, fed, clothed and hydrated. And for most average citizens, petroleum products were pretty much relegated to a jar of Vaseline in the medicine cabinet and filling our cars with gas.
All of this nostalgia stuff is to say we can live more simply and cleanly doing less harm to the planet.
While I have great appreciation for cleaning up and simplifying our lives, we must act responsibly with how and why we get rid of things. Are we getting rid of it because it is broken, soiled or torn beyond repair? Or have we just stopped loving it? Can it be given away or donated to someone in need? The popularity of Ms. Kondo’s practice has maxed-out many charity and thrift shops around the country, and most of the detritus is clothing. (7.) Many charity shops have no room and send it off as rubbish. Turns out developing nations don’t need anymore t-shirts or sweatshirts. What can’t be given away or sold ends up in landfill or gets incinerated. (8.)
How we get rid of things — from food scraps* to old sweaters — is just as important as how we buy things.
*I know I know this is for another story, but putting food scraps into compost is easy and very satisfying (the volume of your weekly kitchen trash will likely be cut by 40%). And rather than coffee grinds and fruit peels emitting greenhouse gases when they are inside a plastic trash bag in a landfill getting heated by the sun they are consorting with worms and other scraps to turn into healthy compost to be returned to the earth. So put simply, its one of the few things we can do that is good for the earth.
As I pointed out previously, plastic recycling was a broken promise. We believed in the marketing. We wanted to protect the planet and it was only a little inconvenient to have to do all of that sorting. Apparel and textile recycling is in its infancy stages. Chemists and engineers are madly looking for funding to create scalable solutions. Unfortunately, recycling textiles is much more complicated than plastic. It’s the kind of complicated that requires federal guidelines and cooperation of states and citizenry.
So before you bring a new clothing item into your life, ask the question: “Does it spark joy?” Is it made well? Will you love it next year? Is it an investment piece? Is it made sustainably and of sustainable materials? What IS a sustainable material? If you answer yes to some of these questions, it’s likely you will keep it for many years and not send it out into the universe after wearing only a few times, as has been the habit of many since Fast Fashion made it easy to do so.
Sustainable means it is renewable, enduring and never harmful, something that is capable of being continued. Sustainable clothing starts with farming. Natural fibers come from farming — cotton, linen, hemp, wool from sheep, cashmere from goats. Silk, which comes from mulberry tree leaves and worms, can be a non-starter for some since a living animal (the worm) dies in the process, thereby making it not truly sustainable. Natural fibers will break down when left out in nature. They will not harm the soil in the process.
A garment is sustainably made if the people who farmed the fiber, spun, wove and dyed it are paid fairly and work in a decent environment. A garment is sustainably made if the process does not pollute nearby water streams. Factories should be using the cleanest energy technologies available in their region. To sum up: No harm should come to people, animals or the earth in the process of making textiles or an article of clothing.
It is easy to be overwhelmed, as I am every other day, by rising temperatures and sea levels. It is easy to feel as if this is all out of our control. There are some activist-y things one can do like writing local elected officials to ban plastics or start a petition to boycott whatever you see as a problem. As consumers we have some power, starting with but not limited to…
• beverages in plastic bottles (that’s an easy one)
• laundry detergent in plastic bottles (you can find detergent available in paper bottles and boxes)
• hand soap in plastic bottles (remember bars of soap — yes that’s still a thing!)
• polyester/synthetic clothing — unless you know you will keep it for several years and will hand it down or donate when the time comes
• plastic wrap or baggies — there are re-useable or biodegradable alternatives
• the plastic baggie the guy at the deli counter wants to put the lunchmeat in
• the plastic bag at the check-out of any store — always keep a re-usable, packable bag in your bag or pocket
• shampoo and conditioner bars (there are many brands out there)
• lotions in glass or tin containers • lip balms/tints in paper tubes
• tampons in paper applicator tubes (this was the only option through the 60s)
• toothpaste tablets that come in (very cute) glass jars; refills come in paper pouches
• sustainable home product/apparel e-commerce sites; or maybe you’re lucky enough to live near a store that sells sustainable products
In closing, many apparel brands are building sustainability teams and are setting near and long term goals to reduce their negative impact on the planet. In the meantime, we can do our part by buying less, buy thoughtfully and buy only what you will love.
And don’t buy beverages in plastic bottles.
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The garment industry has experienced a digital wave in the recent years in the field of technology and fashion. The need for sustainable fashion is one of the major reasons for technology to become so synonymous with fashion in today’s era.
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter after oil. 3.8 billion clothing is dumped annually due to the problem of excess inventory. And what leads to excess inventory? The practice of mass production.
But, thanks to factors like more efficient manufacturing, digital inventory options and virtual customisation, it has led to the invention of mass customisation—the production of products that meet individual demands combined with Just-In-Time production.
Mass customisation is not only specific to an individual’s personal preferences but is also helping in making the fashion industry more ethical. Mass customisation is slowly but steadily creating an impact on our clothing industry.
Customisation has been a part of fashion industry since the beginning of times.
Mass customisation combines the personalization and flexibility of custom-made products with J.I.T (Just-in-Time) production.
63% of women struggle to find the right fit in clothing. Whereas Mass production of garments leads to a huge amount of waste. The sizes made are mostly XS-XXL which sometimes cause poor fitting, and 40% of the time, the garments are either returned or rejected without ever being worn once.
Mass customisation reduces the chances of returns, eliminates excess stock inventory and thereby leads to zero or no inventory. Zero inventories saves us huge amount of annual waste being dumped into the environment.
Another advantage of just-in-time production is that it is demand-led and not inventory-led. Each item is made on demand specified with the customer’s measurements and preferences. Resulting in minimum waste during the cutting process further supported by semi-automated manufacturing, packing and finishing. The individual order is made specifically for one consumer and is worn by that particular consumer minimizing the issue of returns (due to fit) and the problem of keeping inventory (for retailers)
According to an YouGov survey, 26% of US consumers prefer to personalized a product. Apparel and footwear (29%) as well as food and beverages (29%) were the most common categories for buying personalized items.
Custom-made process is often stereotyped as a slow and cumbersome process wherein the deliverables are received within a time frame of 15-21 days which is why most consumers opt for retail sizing even if it doesn’t fit them most time.
Time lag is the major challenge for mass customisation, but thanks to recent developments, traditional custom-made techniques are slowly becoming extinct and are replaced by digital customisation processes. In digital customisation process, customisation options are visible in the form of 3D mapping wherein the consumer can physically see and do the changes they want. It’s easy and efficient.
Another interesting innovation for measurements (in custom-made orders) is 3D body scanning. 3D body scanners measures your 110 body measurements in just 5 seconds enabling to capture your exact measurements with an accuracy of 99.9%
Also, with the advent of technology like artificial intelligence and digital customisation, the consumers have become more accepting. They understand the pain point and the excess inventory which goes in the mass production.
In the coming year’s mass production will be replaced with mass customisation, leading to no excess inventory and zero waste. When the garments are customised specially for the client, the chances of the garment to fit the consumer are very higher compared to the mass production and it leads to zero waste.
Many brands like H&M conscious, Levis are going sustainable. Even fast fashion retailer Zara has announces that by 2025 they will be producing clothing from 100% sustainable fabrics. Whereas tech based fashion start-up like Samshék has undergone a whole sustainable manufacturing process from fabrics till production.
Mass customisation creates a sustainable approach as compared to mass production, because in mass customisation the garment is made for the very first time and for the last time, so there is zero waste of fabric and no excess inventory. This is an issue globally because all the big retail brands produce a large number of garments and half of it goes the waste, they either throw it or burn it.
Switching to mass customisation and digital customisation with usage of natural fibres which are eco-friendly is a sustainable step to the future of fashion we can take as consumers, because if we don’t demand it, how will the industry produce it. A better way to be fashionable yet responsible and be a part in bringing back natural and organic fibres to the textile industry.
]]>In the male-dominated 17th century, Artemisia Gentileschi was considered a significant figurehead of baroque painting. When brutally exposed to the gender politics of Renaissance society, she famously said ‘I will show your illustrious lordship what a woman can do’. The latest exhibition of her work at the National Gallery, not only gives her the posthumous recognition she finally deserves, but demonstrates her extraordinary artistic skill that unites the viewer with her paintings.
Artemisia transformed biblical subjects of the male gaze into courageous female heroines. She also reflects her own artistic valour in the portrayal of these women. Her depiction of Cleopatra, gripping the asp that will kill her in an act of fate, focuses on her dramatic suicide. A similar composition depicts the mythological figure Danae, who was raped by Zeus, in a highly narrative interpretation.
One is consumed by her intensely theatrical ‘Pittoras’; the viewer is inserted into the deeply intrusive scene of Suzannah and the Elders. Artemisia re-interpreted this subject twice more addressing this act in a trilogy of treachery. Two versions of Judith beheading Holofernes are hung next to each other, like a diptych, both erupting in blood and gore. The violence depicted in these paintings have been related to her brutal rape by her teacher, Agostino Tassi, in 1611, at the age of 17. This discourse of art history is visually represented in the exhibition, with a recorded document of the rape case on display in the first room, setting the tone for the drama that is to unfold.
Artemisia’s life intertwines with her art, not only through her disturbing past, but also in her ambitious competition with her male contemporaries. The chiaroscuro shading and double portraiture, are emblematic of Caravaggio and her father, Orazio Gentileschi, who also created duplicates of his own works.
Over half of Artemisia’s paintings have been identified as self-portraits. Each one portrays an alteration of the ‘self,’ representing biblical figures or classical muses such as Self-portrait as a Female Martyr or Self-portrait as St. Catherine of Alexandria. Arguably her most renowned is Allegory of Painting, which poses the question; is it a self-portrait, or an homage to the act of painting?
An appreciation of her body of works and indeed her life requires us to understand the battle between misogyny and feminism. Whilst this exhibition celebrates Artemisia in all her glory, it resounds in the struggle of female artists throughout history to gain recognition regardless of their gender. If Caravaggio’s violent lifestyle is considered separate from his artistic mastery, why has the narrative of Artemisia’s art, only now been disassociated from her rape?
Self-portrait as St Catherine of Alexandria is only the 21st painting by a woman to enter the National Gallery’s permanent collection, which is a rather embarrassing statistic, considering the museum boasts a colossal 2,300 works. This debate echoes the Guerrilla Girls poster in 1989; which asks the burning question: ‘Do women have to be naked to get into the MET. Museum’?
We should therefore hope that this exceptional display of work not only celebrates Artemisia but brings attention to the women from the Early Modern through to the contemporary, not because they were women, but because they were great artists.
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About the Author
Arielle Lande is a third year Joint Honours, History of Art and Spanish student, and the Art Editor at Lippy Magazine. Lippy is the alternative magazine of University of Leeds’ in the UK. Lippy focuses on witty, off-centre journalism, based on our genuine interest in the discussion of issues that matter. Visit Lippy Magazine at Lippy Magazine. |
It’s very easy to fall into the trap of constantly comparing where you are in life to where you could be if you simply changed one little thing. Negative goal-setting is the act of telling yourself that if you achieve one thing, you will then be happy/fulfilled/satisfied as a result of this. Realistically, no goal brings immediate and real happiness. Temporary bliss may be achieved, but long-term satisfaction is impossible to gain from changing or gaining one thing.
A goal I fall prey to regularly is the old classic, if I had a boyfriend, then I would be happy. Checking this off my list isn’t going to immediately cure my ailments and my unhappiness. It will, however, make me more unhappy when I realise that the one objective I set myself changed nothing. There are of plenty other things that I feel I should have achieved by now but have ‘failed’ to, but realistically, this isn’t a failure. It’s a change of plans.
Being happy with where you are is a hard feat to accomplish but it’s doable – here are a few ways of getting there.
Self-awareness
In order to feel that you’re not falling behind or struggling, you have to first understand that you are right where you’re supposed to be. When I was sixteen I thought I knew exactly where I’d be when I was in my mid-twenties, but instead I’m here and just as clueless as I was when I was that bright-eyed, bushy-tailed teenager. That’s because it’s impossible to plan your life using a set of goals to monitor progress! If I’d set myself goals at sixteen then I would be significantly far behind, yet a part of me still holds myself to that standard. I still feel that I’m failing because I haven’t decided on a career, and because I’m not currently in a steady relationship. Yet 16-year-old me isn’t aware that I’m working on achieving a Masters, that I’m working in a pharmacy, that I’ve got romantic prospects. I’m succeeding in all these things and therefore I am a person who is achieving all she can! Just because I am not exactly who I wanted to be does not mean I am not a person I shouldn’t be proud of.
The goals we set ourselves prior to growing up are unachievable and unrealistic – it would be insane to expect that we could all do what our sixteen-year-old selves hoped we would. Instead, we need to take a step back and realise that those young girls are proud of us regardless of where we are, simply because we’re here. There is never a need to be disappointed with yourself because you’re not exactly where you expected to be. Being comfortable with where you are comes with being comfortable with who you are.
Healthy goal-setting
Just because setting goals can be unhealthy, doesn’t mean setting goals is a generally unhealthy act. Setting achievable, realistic and small goals while also understanding that these goals won’t change your life overnight, is perfectly healthy.
Yes, telling yourself if you achieve objective A, you will find happiness, is an inherently bad thing to do due to the consequences you’ll end up facing. Basing something as huge as happiness or satisfaction on the achievement of one goal is a dangerous game to play, but setting smaller goals that can be continuously accomplished is a healthy way of getting on track to where you want to be.
Instead of telling yourself, ‘I’ll be happy when I’m in my dream home’, which is unrealistic in terms of achievability, try telling yourself ‘If I improve my spending habits and spend less on unnecessary items, I can begin saving to live in a home I love’’. Placing the focus of the statement on what needs to be done to work towards that goal, rather than on what the goal is and what the supposed outcome will be, makes it a far more attainable and realistic objective. Instead of being a be-all, end-all type of sentence, it turns into a plan of action, telling you what you should begin doing to get to where you want to be rather than insisting you do something that will immediately lead to a positive consequence.
Practice gratitude
Every day I challenge myself to write down five things that I’m grateful for. These can vary from ‘my delicious breakfast’ to ‘my friends’ to ‘being alive’! I always include reasoning for each statement, explaining why this is something I’m grateful for – for example, I am grateful for my friends because they are fantastic people who support me regardless.
Practicing gratitude and keeping track of what you’re grateful for encourages self-awareness which encourages being conscious of where you are on your path. It also reminds you of how much you have to be happy about and grateful for, meaning that you have less need to worry about what you don’t have and what you could be grateful for. One of the main problems we have when considering where we are in terms of our lives is thinking about what could be or what might have been. This is a fruitless and negative method of thinking, but can easily be resolved through practicing gratitude; remind yourself that yes, while you could have gotten that promotion a year ago, you stayed in the same position, gained experience and moved on to a higher paying job thanks to this.
The things we are grateful for can vary from extreme to miniscule. Regardless of the size or magnitude of each item you’re grateful for, they are all things that we have and we are happy to have. In a world of what if’s and could have been’s, it’s good to take yourself back to realise and focus on what we have already. There may be things we want and things that we could have had, but these don’t change the things we have at this exact moment.
It’s a cliché, but we are all exactly where we’re supposed to be. If we don’t like where we are, then there are things to do to change that and thus put ourselves on a path towards where we would rather be, but there’s nothing of value to be gained by setting unrealistic goals. By telling ourselves that accomplishing one goal will lead to a cathartic sensation, we are setting ourselves up to fail. Therefore, being comfortable and happy with who we are, setting healthy and realistic goals, and being actively grateful for the amazing things around us are a set of easy ways to become more happy with where we are on our paths.
About the Author
Bethany Butterworth holds an English Literature and Media Studies Degree from Portsmouth University UK. Bethany has an impeccable standard of both written and spoken English and is currently seeking employment in communications, media and writing. Visit Bethany's Blog |
Maybe you’re someone who has lost their job during the Covid-19 pandemic, or you’re just looking to pack out your resume with interesting and useful things. Maybe you just fancy expanding your knowledge, or maybe you want to spend your time feeling that it’s not being wasted. Regardless the motivation, personal learning as an adult is a fantastic way to spend your time, especially when you have an abundance of it.
Now is the time. We’re living in a world where we, as women, can become educated through methods that our ancestors weren’t privy to, and can also educate ourselves. As someone who didn’t necessarily want to go to university but ultimately ended up attending out of fear that I wouldn’t have the same opportunities without it, I would have loved the ability to study without spending three years or more on a campus away from home. While I ended up loving university and having a fantastic experience, my eighteen-year-old self would have appreciated the option. We now have the Open University and countless other institutions that have made it possible to study towards an actual degree without ever leaving the house. In addition, with countless websites offering shorter courses for free, or at least for very little money, the time to grow our minds and learn a new thing (or twenty) is now.
It’s only been just over a century since women were permitted for the first time to attend university. It’s been less than a century since all women were given the right to vote. Since then, we’ve been able to become doctors, dentists, historians and lecturers. A lot of these things we’ve been able to do thanks to institutions like universities, but a lot of other qualifications don’t even require spending upwards of nine years in steady education. Now, the world is our oyster. Sites like Coursera and Udemy are perfect for personal learning, as they are cheap, easily accessible and allow you to learn at your own pace.
And, as I’ve said previously, now is the time. The UK’s current national lockdown prohibits us from socialising and leaving the house unless desperately needed, so the abundance of time we’re left with needs to be filled with something. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be familiar with feeling guilt in the pit of your stomach after a day of doing nothing – it’s awful, but when I spend hours either browsing the web, binge-watching a show or even attempting a jigsaw puzzle, I feel as though I should have achieved more. And while it’s perfectly okay for me to achieve nothing, as I do most days, it’s also okay to want to achieve more.
What I’ve learnt so far through personal learning has done nothing but benefit me. Even Google has broken into the online leaning industry, with a host of incredibly varied and interesting courses, though if like me you’re looking to expand your knowledge of a certain subject, it’s easy to nail down that exact niche. Personally, I’ve been experimenting with marketing courses, and looking for anything I can that will help spice up my CV. If I achieve nothing else throughout this lockdown I will at least have added something to my professional qualifications without even leaving the house, and that’s an achievement in itself. In terms of personal growth, I feel more able to answer interview questions in details since I’ve expanded my understanding of the inner workings of concepts I previously only had a fundamental understanding of.
This isn’t all to say that doing nothing is at all something to be embarrassed about. I think my ratio of productivity to laziness is currently at about 20:80, so I know more than most what it’s like to feel unproductive. It’s a completely understandable feeling to just want to do nothing, or to laze about watching telly or staring at the ceiling. But it’s also good to be setting goals and doing something to keep us from turning into hermits. I’ve taken to journaling my daily intentions when I wake up in the morning, with these goals varying from ‘make sure I each lunch’ to ‘complete that SEO course I’ve been putting off’. It’s a great way of setting personal and achievable goals so as to feel that you’ve done something with your time, but also is a way that doesn’t overwhelm you with expectations.
Combining personal learning with realistic goal-setting is the perfect way to expand your own education at a pace that suits you. It’s also a great way of achieving a little something with the abundance of free time we all have at the moment, and will surely benefit all of us in the future. About the Author
About the Author
Bethany Butterworth holds an English Literature and Media Studies Degree from Portsmouth University UK. Bethany has an impeccable standard of both written and spoken English and is currently seeking employment in communications, media and writing. Visit Bethany's Blog |
Japanese Street Fashion has had a monumental effect on the Fashion industry. Notably, in the last decade publications like Vogue have gifted their readers with numerous articles featuring the best street looks from Tokyo Fashion Week. Designers from all around the globe have been eager to recreate precise looks for their own runway collections.
The blending of contemporary popular culture with traditional aesthetics is what makes this fashion so artistic whilst refreshing. Many Japanese people have not only become renowned style icons because of their curated fits but have helped make Tokyo a fashion capital across the world. What I personally love most is how these distinct fits look highly thought out yet effortless. Each completed look has so much life, a story to tell and that’s what fashion is all about. It’s what I love most about fashion, reflecting a mood, a vibe or a message through the clothes you wear.
So where did it start? Arguably, the kind of Tokyo Street Fashion which we know and love today began around the 60s. During this period the American influence was rampant, the biker style, vintage style, alongside the music and popular culture all inspired the ways that the Japanese dressed. Near the end of the 70s and the start of the 80s, magazines such as Popeye played a fundamental role in promoting the Japanese take on the ‘preppy’ college look formen whilst a female version named ‘female college girl’ or joshi daisei (女子大生) was also being created.
Moving forward to the 80s and 90s where the style flourished under the backdrop of the booming Japanese economy. The 90s truly was the time in which Street Fashion made a name for itself. It was also the time where the diverse subcultures were becoming increasingly visible, with the emergence of ‘Shibuya Casual’, a casual yet sophisticated sort of style and the ‘Urahara Movement’ which was a mixture of skater, bohemian and American streetwear fashion. The famous Shibuya-based ‘Gyaru’ (ギャル) movement was also created at this time alongside the popularisation of the cute schoolgirl trend. These would both go onto to have a massive influence on American celebrities in the 2000s and on mainstream styles seen today.
Another pivotal point was the creation of FRUiTS magazine in 1977, by photographer Shoichi Aoki. This monthly magazine captured the quirky, punky, colourful, fun and creative spirit of Harajuku fashion. It can be said that the Harajuku style is one of the most influential to date. Lolita, Decora and Cosplay are all recognisable styles which are replicated all around the world. Although it is believed this style has died out with the ending of FRUiTS, I think it is still very much alive but in a new way.
Today, more than ever the streets of Tokyo are filled with a range of stand out and experimental styles. The elements which made 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s Street Fashion so memorable are still seen. Now, the incorporation of Western brands, customised pieces and the use of mixing and matching in an outfit is the desired style. The reason why Japanese Street Fashion has remained so unique and been around for so long is because individuals can take a trend and make it distinctively Japanese.
What can we learn from Tokyo Street Fashion and how can we replicate its vibes? Well, I think the style thrives off originality, so there isn’t a perfect formula or clear process. Plus, since there are a lot of subcultures it all comes down to which you most relate to and how you want to express yourself. However, a couple of tips which may prove useful is to prioritise layering, shapes and accessorising. If you can start off with a few thrifted pieces and put your own spin on the everyday items, soon enough your clothes will be able to tell a story just like the ones of those walking the streets of Tokyo.
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About the Author
Jane Pipkin is the Fashion Editor at Lippy Magazine. Challenging, inspiring, and rarely shying away from the controversial. Lippy is the alternative magazine of University of Leeds’ in the UK. Lippy focuses on witty, off-centre journalism, based on our genuine interest in the discussion of issues that matter. Visit Lippy Magazine at Lippy Magazine. |
Long leather whips hang on the wall alongside black stiletto heels on a shelf. Furniture in modern imperial style, there is a metal cage in the corner, and framed photos of a cat. The Mistress is the one in charge of pleasure and pain-the Mistress. Hers is a job where a woman is worshiped as a goddess. The daredevil woman that encapsulates the anxieties and guilty dream of the patriarchal world.
A door opened, and a woman showed up, she was dressed in a pencil skirt with a black jacket. If you meet her on the street, you would think that she is a businesswoman from an office. Mistress Wira, 36 years-old, lives in the north of the Netherlands. She has been working for the last 15 years as a Domina in different parts of the country.
Domina is another term for a dominatrix. Mistress claimed that she prefers the term Domina because it sounds more elegant than a dominatrix. When asked about how she became a professional Domina, she says that becoming a professional Domina was her fate as many friends noticed how she carried herself. Then one of her friends, a dominatrix, encouraged her to try it and guided her at the beginning of her career. “She was the gentle soul who pushed me into the deep,” says Domina about her old friend.
“It was that people saw it in me. From the compliments that I found rather an insult. It was that I have an arrogant look. They were just small signs in the regular day of life. It was based on coincidence, coincidence, coincidence… And it literally crystallizes itself,” Domina says. She did not embrace this side of her at first. She explains “Basically, I was the only one who held back even though I collected my first boots and everything. I wouldn’t dare to open up, I wouldn’t dare to step out there and call myself a Dom and attract clients.” However, fate kept leading her down this path. It took years of experience to fully grasp for herself what it means being a dominatrix and what domination is about.
The way we look at BDSM has changed recently in the last couple of years. The awareness and acceptance of it grew among people. The major role in the shift of public opinion has played the book and the movie adaption of it Fifty Shades of Grey. The erotic melodrama between a dominant male and submissive female hit high peaks of popularity back in 2015, over 100 million copies of the book were sold worldwide and the trailer of the first book adaption was seen 250 million times. It encouraged the public to explore the spicy things in their sex life. However, the real BDSM has remained a taboo subject, in particular regarding the people who work in this domain.
A domination session is more than you think. Social and psychology scholars such as Meg Barker, have already discussed the healing ability of BDSM practices regarding past traumas and pressure of the postmodern life. The submissive tries with a professional dominatrix to re-enact a traumatic event from their life, such as bullying, in a safe environment in order to overcome emotionally the event. In other case, some men need a place where they feel vulnerable and liberated from their responsibility as head of the family or from the role of provider. “I always knew that domination is not about whipping someone until blood. It is definitely not violence. Maybe it is even the most caring psychotherapy in an erotic manner,” says Domina.
She grew up emotionally with this job and reached some kind of catharsis by being in control of someone’s pleasure. She said that a session with a client is sometimes like a memorable dream that hunts you all week. One of this type of session included tying up her client to the staircase and leaving him there for a couple of hours while she was spending time with her friend in the house. The dynamics between Domina don’t exceed the certain established limits with her clients.
It is a lifestyle for her being a mistress. She created a mixture in her house of the professional tools and usual furniture: whips, chains, a cage alongside couches, a TV and, plants in her living room. Even though one of her friends did not approve of this change of lifestyle. Keeping a separation of the workplace and her own house created a mental struggle, “I felt violated in my private area. It is hard to describe. I was just mentally so split between who I am in daily life and who I am when I am the Mistress. I began to explore mixing the two worlds,” she explains. Domina overcame this problem with the help of her trustworthy clients, who she felt comfortable inviting them in her personal space. The last three years were for her a crystallization in her work and life.
Whenever you hear about a dominatrix, a certain image comes to mind-a woman dressed in latex with spikes, black lipstick, and a chocker. A woman that tells you what to do and punishes with a whip if you disobey. Some kind of modern super-woman, but in a BDSM world. A lady with unlimited authority that makes the body tremble and the mouth dry at the glance of her outfit. However, this outside image does not apply to every dominatrix. It is a two-dimensional illusion that hides the human side.
“It is bad! It is really the only negative thing in this lifestyle,” she says with a low voice, almost whispering, “If I wouldn’t need to lie about it, but you got to do some job and pay the bills. If you cannot come clear on this, obviously you have to make up a lie. And I have a really huge struggle with that.” Her family and some friends don’t know about her job, except her older sister. She has these moments when she wants to tell the truth to her loved ones and take all the judgments for it. She wants to be free of this burden of keeping a secret.
Domina Wira moved to the Netherlands from her home country, which she kept off the record. She left her homeland when she was just 21 years-old by leaving behind her family and a job in an office. As she described herself- a rebellious teenager with an American flag on the wall that dreamed of moving in the West. She picked up Dutch and English language from just watching TV and talking to the customers in the Netherlands. “When I came to Holland and I heard for the first time Dutch, I thought it is impossible to learn it. So, I leaned towards English. Back then I was located in Amsterdam area and it was easy to speak English. Here (the north) it is different. First, I thought they are fooling around,” she smiles, “They don’t want to speak English because they want you to be forced to talk the local, native language.”
When asked about her everyday routine, Mistress Wira said that most of the time she spends cleaning her house, which is also her workplace, and preparing everything for the clients. She works seven days a week and also in the holidays by offering as much as possible flexibility to the clients, “I am the woman and the man of the house. I have to keep it clean. Especially I am working everywhere.” She also is following a course in Coaching and Consulting for improving her skills in dealing with clients, in particular approaching and understanding them.
About the Author
Born in the old Soviet Republic of Moldova, Maia Paduraru is an Art History major currently studying for a Masters in Journalism at the University of Groningen in Holland, from which she aims to work as an art critic and a cultural journalist. Polya is a featured writer for the University's Masters Program Blog, The Lens. |
Ernest Hemingway is one of my favourite of all time. He had an adventurous life that rivalled the characters in his works. A visit to Hemingway’s writing haven in Key West is what inspired me to become a travel writer.
On a visit to Key West in March 2015, I visited the home Hemingway had on the island. The Spanish Colonial style home contained many of the original furnishings from the time Hemingway lived there from 1930 to 1939. It is one of three homes Hemingway had and has been designated as a US National Register of Historic Places since 1968. The home was the first on the island to have a swimming pool and a second-floor bathroom with running water.
There are three portraits of him on the first floor. One where he is in his 40s, one in his 60s, and an artist’s portrait of Hemingway where he looks in his 30s. In each portrait Hemingway looks pensive, distinguished and sober.
Another highlight of the property are the polydactyl, cats, who are descendants of the original feline Snow White, who was given to Hemingway by a ship captain. Today, because of Snow White, there are up to 50 of these six toed cats living on the Key West property.
As a writer myself, it is not surprising many that my favourite room was his writing studio. This was located on the second floor of a carriage house, separate from the main house. I was looking forward to seeing this part of the property more than any other. He wrote many works including The Snows of Kilimanjaro and the novel To Have and Have Not and the nonfiction work Green Hills of Africa while in this room.
I can imagine that after some time drinking at Sloppy Joe’s, Hemingway would come home guided by the lighthouse across the way. He would stumble up to his studio and write. As I looked at the room that Hemingway once sat in surrounded by books, I could understand how these surroundings inspired great work. It truly was Hemingway’s writing haven in Key West.
Hemingway’s writing haven in Key West was the highlight of my trip. I can identify with Papa Hemingway on a few levels. As a result, his writing inspired me to travel. I can also relate to the tortured and depressed writer personality too. He has touched me through his prose. I was intrigued by the legend and I want to emulate his adventurous lifestyle and share my experiences with the world.
About the Author A journalism major from Pace University, Nicole Bergstrom is a native of New Jersey and a 20 year veteran travel writer. Nicole works as a freelance journalist and now resides in the UK, where she has been published in Global Traveler, Trazee Book, Code of Style, A Luxury Travel Blog, Arrivedo and Matador Network. |
Flaunting your sex appeal begins with recognizing that you have it. You may have changed in many ways from the woman you were 20, 30, or 40 years ago but you are still beautiful, attractive, and vivacious.
The good news is, most of you already know that.
The results of a poll, conducted in association with YouGov and shared on Daily Mail, revealed that most women feel more sexually confident in their 50s than in previous decades. And 94 percent of the women polled say they feel younger than they are.
I’ve heard it said that after a certain age women become invisible. I’ve never felt that to be true, darlings, but if you feel invisible, I invite you to join me in challenging that attitude. I invite you to change it, in fact. Be noticeable. Make an entrance. Embrace your sexuality. Do flaunt your sex appeal. Don’t wait another minute!
You’re sexy and you know it. Confidence is the key to sex appeal at any age, and so it follows that, at 50+, when we finally realize how much we have to offer (beyond looks) we feel empowered. And that, my darlings, is s.e.x.y.
Erica Jagger, the better-than-fifty-year-old blogger behind the blog, “The Sexy Woman of A Certain Age,” puts it succinctly via HuffPost 50. “And yet I don’t feel invisible. I feel like I can compete with younger women for male attention and am surprised when I walk into a room and a man doesn’t look at me. But, I never wonder what’s wrong with me; I wonder, what the hell’s wrong with him?”
Do recognize how amazing and appealing you are! And those 30-year-olds in magazines and Viagra ads? As the saying goes, “Appreciate someone else’s beauty without questioning your own.”
I’m not advocating dressing provocatively. I’m not suggesting your shorts should be as minuscule as your Granddaughter’s or your blouse as low cut as you may have once worn! I am saying that if you are pleased with your figure, wear clothes that complement it. And if you’re not pleased with your figure then exercise more and eat well. Make a commitment to feel good about your body. It doesn’t have to fit any mold or type but it’s your body… love it!
Do wear what you love and love how you look! Don’t neglect yourself; find the time to invest in your well-being, both physically and mentally.
“Dressing your age” is a concept I despise. Dress for attitude, darlings! I love adding yellow sneakers to my purple jumpsuit for a pop of color. It may not be for everyone and that’s OK because I dress for me. There never has been and never will be anything sexier than a woman who knows exactly who she is. A woman who knows what she brings to the table is not afraid to eat alone… but seldom does!
Do dress exactly as you wish! Don’t be limited by “age-appropriate” apparel. Let only your own attitude be your guide.
About the Author Susan Honey Good is an award winning blogger. Her site www.HoneyGood.com and its social channels enjoy 250K followers and has been named "Best Senior Blog 2020". |
Marvel Studios has started producing more female-centred movies, introducing a more inclusive perspective towards women.
In 2019 Marvel Studios released Captain Marvel, which is their first female led superhero movie. 2018 saw the release of Ant-Man and the Wasp, the first Marvel movie to have a female character in its name. These were the first steps taken by Marvel to depict women differently.
Under representation and sexualisation of women in media are seen not only in Marvel but also across the whole entertainment industry. According to BBC in 2018, Marvel have been criticised for lack of female representation.
“The world needs more female power”, says Christian Peper, the owner of Gameland-Groningen, a store for game and TV merchandise. “We need more ladies in movies”, adds Peper.
Before Captain Marvel, the Marvel encompassed 20 movies and not even one of them was led or directed by a woman. In productions set to be released between 2020 and 2022 there are only 3 productions centred around female characters. Yet this is a sign of progress, and it is clear that women are gaining ground in representation of cinema.
These recent changes in the Marvel movies were driven by the rise of inclusivity and equality seen not only in popular culture. Nowadays, women are gaining more recognition by acquiring positions in politics and management. For example, a research by Catalyst states that in 2019 the proportion of women in senior management was 29%, the highest ever recorded.
One of the three female roles appearing on screen will be Black Widow. She was the only character from the Avengers, apart from Hawkeye, who didn’t have her own movie. Now 8 years after the first Avengers movie, a Black Widow movie is coming on the big screen on 6th November after a delay due to Covid-19. Additionally, a few days ago, the leading actress for the upcoming She-Hulk series was announced as well as the first four directors for Ms. Marvel.
However, superhero movies are usually made by men for men, neglecting the female character or representing her as weak or one who needs to be saved. Take as an example Spider-Man and Mary Jane, Superman and Lois Lane. Another tendency is the sexualisation of women, especially in comics, where they are portrayed with lidded eyes, big breasts, scantily clad and full pouty lips.
“In the past it was a men’s world. Now men and women are seen more like equals. Before, female characters were sexualised, for example Catwoman, but not so much now”, says Steven Krabbenbos, a seller at Nedgame Groningen, a store for video games.
Femininity has been becoming more and more important throughout 21st century. Not only have been women seen taking important positions in politics, for example Kamala Harris, but also in the entertainment industry as in positions such as directors and leading acting roles. Furthermore, this isn’t the case only about the above-mentioned fields but also about literature, computing science and art where more and more female names are becoming recognisable.
About the Author Polya Pencheva is a Bulgarian national, living and studying in Holland. Polya has a bachelor degree in European Languages and Cultures, and is currently taking a Masters in Journalism at the University of Groningen. |